Ep. 119 MAKING A SMALTI MOSAIC GARDEN SCULPTURE & A Bit of Studio Organization!

Ep. 119 MAKING A SMALTI MOSAIC GARDEN SCULPTURE & A Bit of Studio Organization!

I made the teardrop substrate in a Paltiya workshop with Maria Sarmiento a while ago.

In Episode 119, I mix up a bit of Laticrete 254 black-tinted thinset and cut some smalti with a hammer and hardie while I wait for it to slake. Then I talk a bit about smalti and show some of my 24K gold stash. Next, I pull out my sample cards of Orsoni smalti from MosaicSmalti.com and MDM smalti from DiMosaico. They both have gold samples attached and the colors are beautiful! Then I talk about cutting smalti with both Hammer & Hardie and wheeled nippers, including chipping off the face to get a faceted cut which will capture the light. I like to put my thinset in a baggie to extend the life and control it, then pipe it in place and spread it out with my Italian spatula. On this project, my goal is to keep it loose and a bit uneven to give it interest and character. Working this way is a bit of a challenge! I then show how I solve a few problem areas where two sections collide and turn it into one contiguous, flowing design. (Hint: millefiori to the rescue!) Hopefully, the smalti police won't appear in my garden and give me a ticket.
That's about it this week for mosaic projects! Then I show several of the projects on the back burner that are making me feel guilty for not finishing them. Lastly, I show off my freshly painted storage unit - Yea!!! It took so long to prime and paint it in my hot garage!
That's Ep. 119 of Putting It Together with Julie Mazzoni! Thanks for watching. See you next time!

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